Colon cancer kills 5 people every day in Switzerland. “An unacceptable reality”, said Brian Haschemi, chairman of Novigenix, a biotech start-up at the heart of the Biopôle in Lausanne. Unacceptable because with early detection, colorectal cancer can be cured. Now the second most deadly form of cancer, the eradication of colorectal cancer represents both a global health challenge and a market with strong potential.
An innovative Swiss company that specialises in molecular techniques, Novigenix is developing a new generation of blood tests. Its flagship product, Colox®, addresses a strong clinical need: the availability on the market of a simple product for the early detection and prevention of colorectal cancer, as a routine medical procedure. Colon cancer is the second most deadly form of cancer in the world and the third most common: one person in 20 will develop it over the course of their lifetime. In Switzerland, 5 individuals – men and women – die of it every day and 4,800 new cases are detected every year. The result of 10 years of development with key actors in the sector (ISREC, Université de Lausanne, SIB, EPFL, CHUV, Hôpital Universitaire de Bâle), Colox® combines different technologies of molecular biology and biostatistics.
The intrinsic innovation of the Colox® new generation blood test lies in its interrogation of the patient’s immune system. It also allows the early detection of cancerous or pre-cancerous tumours (polyps that can be removed by endoscopy), which radically improves the chances of survival. The survival rate after 5 years is 90% with early detection, but it falls to only 10% if the colorectal cancer is diagnosed at an advanced stage. Colox® is an alternative to the usual diagnostic methods (colonoscopy or stool test). Simple, clean, reliable, Colox® contributes to reducing access barriers to screening. In the event of a positive test, the doctor will prescribe a colonoscopy. Carried out every two years from the age of 50, a screening test can prevent the progression of cancer.
At the current time, 400 doctors have already prescribed Colox® to over 3,000 patients. This is only the start: Novigenix intends to increase the availability of the test to the widest possible section of the population by signing new distribution agreements with medical laboratories in French and German-speaking Switzerland. In 2016 Novigenix published a clinical validation of Colox® in the prestigious journal Clinical Cancer Research. Since then, the company has increased its attendance at events for doctors, and is available to answer any questions from patients. At the same time, Novigenix continues to rely on its network of experts in Switzerland to develop new diagnostic products for the clinical monitoring of patients affected by colorectal cancer and chronic intestinal inflammation problems, with the clear goal of developing at international level.
